NYLA Hottie of the Week: Meet Niki Ghazian, Professional Football Player

The quintessential NYLA Persian Hottie of the Week is equal parts spicy, sophisticated, sexy, and for good measure, into sports. L.A. resident Niki Ghazian is all of that, and then some.

You want spicy? The 27-year-old model has appeared in Maxim and FHM magazines, garnering a nomination for Miss FHM in 2006 and the nicknamed “Persian Barbie” by the magazine’s writers.

Sophisticated? The California State University, Northridge graduate will soon wrap up her last year of law school. Just picture this: a law school professor exercising the Socratic method, but more nervous about the student he’s probing than the student being probed.

Besides oozing sex appeal in every respect, Niki is sexy at its peak, literally: she’s 5-foot-8 (that’s NBA point-guard tall) and weighs just under a buck-twenty.

But nothing consummates Niki as the exemplary NYLA Hottie quite like her penchant for sports. Not only is she an Oakland Raiders aficionado, her passion for the gridiron goes deeper than pretty much every girl you’ve ever met in your life.

Gentlemen, please meet Niki Ghazian, professional football player in the Lingerie Football League (LFL). Sporting a No. 11 jersey, Niki, an offensive guard, has been active with Lingerie football for the past 3 years, helping her Los Angeles Temptation secure the inaguaral league championship during the halftime of the 2010 Superbowl in Florida. The LFL is helmed by Afghan-American sports marketer Mitchell Mortaza (among other year-end awards, including a most valuable player, the league also gives out a Mortaza Award).

Niki sat down with NYLA shortly after her recent law school finals, and she dished off on everything from torts to Tahdig, Googoosh to the Gridiron.

What is your favorite Persian food? Who is your favorite Persian singer? I love Gheyme (traditional Persian stew) with Tahdig (crispy rice). As for a singer, it’s Googoosh. The albums she put out in the 1970s are epic, I listen to them all the time. It is the only Persian music I own.

Go-to Karaoke Song: Madonna’s “Like a Virgin.”

Anything interesting/noteworthy happen to you recently? I was nominated for FHM’s 100 Hottest Women in the World again this year.

Who do people say you look like? Shakira and (news anchor and model) Jillian Barberie.

What do you feel most comfortable wearing? I feel most comfortable naked.

What would you like to do in the future? Rule the world…just kidding! Be successful and happy.

Are you single? Yes.

Describe your ideal guy. Ever dated a Persian guy? I like a guy who is smart, funny, loyal, and athletic. And I once dated a Persian guy! He was a surfer like me, very laid back and also an LA native, so we got along well.

You were recently linked with international soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo. Do you keep in touch? We are friends.

Do u have any Persian friends? Yes I have a lot of Persian friends. Persian people are the most loyal & funny people you can ever meet, everybody needs a few Persian friends in their circle.

Any siblngs? I have a sister that is five years older than me.

Favorite Movie/Actor/Actress? I have a few favorite movies – I am a fan of old movies. Dustin Hoffman in The Graduate was a classic. Robert Redford and Barbara Streisand in The Way We Were were amazing. But as far as contemporary actors, I like Robert Pattinson and Natalie Portman – he is so gorgeous, and she is so talented.

Any piercings/tattoos? What/where/meaning? I have no tattoos, I don’t believe in marking my body in a permanent way. I have my navel pierced.

What fun fact, talent or superpower of yours should guys know about? I’m pretty clairvoyent, I find out about the truth of matters in strange ways; I feel like God really has my back in that sense.

Tell us the craziest thing you’ve ever done. I’ve done too many crazy things & I think its better at this point for me to stop incriminating myself on interviews, haha!

Who would win in a race, former Iranian-American NFL player Shar Pourdanesh or you? Shar would win because men are inherently stronger and faster than women. It’s the truth ladies.

Who is your favorite NFL player? Favorite athlete? What’s your favorite sport? Who is your favorite Iranian athlete? My favorite contemporary NFL player is Matt Ryan, the Atlanta Falcons’ quarterback. He is really hot and has a lot of guts. I love that when no one’s open, he is not afraid to run the ball in for a touchdown himself. You can tell he still plays with the same passion he played with in college, and the NFL has not gotten to him one bit. He is going to be great, watch. As far as all-time favorite player, I would say Ronnie Lott. That guy had no sense of fear and played with a reckless abandonment of his body. If you ran a route into his zone, he would annihilate you. My favorite Iranian athlete is basketball player Hamed Haddadi of the NBA’s Memphis Grizzlies. I love Hamed!

What do you think of NYLA magazine? I think it’s fabulous because you guys cover everything from Hollywood, to music, to sports.

Been back to Iran recently? No I have not, but I would like to.

What’s the coolest thing about being Iranian? Coming from a rich culture with a lot of history is something that sets Persians apart from most races. Also, Persians are extremely intelligent and compassionate people.

What’s it like being a female football player? This was my 3rd year with the LFL and this year was an amazing experience. Being able to play such a physically demanding sport that women haven’t traditionally played is exhilirating and groundbreaking in itself.

How’d you become one of the pioneers of this league? My agent Tuesday got me an audition with the Lingerie Bowl back when it was just models. I had first appeared in FHM. Once the Lingerie Bowl became the Lingerie Football League, I was still able to make the cut because of my athletic background – I swam competitively my entire childhood and played water polo in high school and college. I have always been, and will always be an athlete. I am a competitor and a fighter on and off the playing field.

What kind of law do u want to practice? I am in my last year of law school and I would like to do contracts and criminal defense.

Case closed. Hottie is certified. The defense rests.

Check out last week’s NYLA Hottie of the Week, Parisa